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Her hanging is now widely considered to be the trigger for abolishment of capital punishment within the UK.

And tonight (Tuesday, March 13) American film maker Gillian Pachter re-examines Ellis’ case in BBC Four's The Ruth Ellis Files: A Very British Crime Story.

Ruth Ellis with boyfriend David Blakely at the Little Club in London 1955. (Image: Mirrorpix)

She unearths documents and information ignored ahead of her execution and investigates whether the mother of two got the justice she deserved.

The three-part series over three consecutive nights studies new evidence of David Cussen’s role - another man Ellis was seeing at the time of the murder - and whether her case should have been reprieved.

It will see experts shed new light on the involvement on her alleged accomplice while Pachter tracks down those who met Ellis and Blakely in a bid to look beyond the law at the complex world of post-war Britain.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the new TV series.

Episode 1 synopsis - Tuesday, March 13

In the first episode, Pachter takes a forensic look at the police investigation and soon discovers worrying assumptions and problematic omissions.

There is also a key witness who was never questioned by the police - Ruth’s 10-year old son Andre, who took his own life in the 1980s.

He left behind an audio cassette that Pachter uses to piece together what Ellis’ son knew.

Tuesday night’s episode will also reveal involvement on an alleged accomplice.

Episode 3 synopsis- Thursday, March 15

In the last episode to be aired on Thursday, Pachter concentrates on the three weeks that led up to Ellis’ execution.

She charts attempts to save her and Ellis’ last minute confession that she had an accomplice.

Pachter investigates how news of this made its way to the Home Office, who were dealing with a flood of letters from the public.

More than 50,000 people signed a petition calling for a reprieve at the time and despite police being forced to open new lines of enquiry and revaluate witness accounts, Home Secretary Gwilym Lloyd George refused to halt the execution.

And this episode sees Pachter examine the reasons why.

Following the execution, a report was sent to the Home Office, questioning the outcome of her trial and Pachter uncovers a surprising connection between Ellis’ alleged accomplice and London’s legal establishment.

Finally, Pachter looks at the terrible impact the case had on her son, Andre, and considers Ellis’ legacy in terms of our legal history.

Ruth Ellis with Desmond Cussen (Image: Mirrorpix)

What do we know about the murder on April 10, 1955?

On Easter Sunday 1955, Ellis took a taxi from her lover Cussen’s home to Hampstead, where she suspected Blakely might be.

Blakely was ignoring her at the time and hid with friends, refusing to see her or answer her phone calls.

But on April 10, she found his car outside the Magdala pub, and waited for him to leave.

At around 9.30pm David Blakely and his friend Clive Gunnell emerged.

Despite Blakely passing Ellis on the pavement, he ignored her when she said “Hello David” and then shouted “David!”

Crowds outside the entrance to the prison where Ruth Ellis was hanged in 1955 (Image: Mirrorpix)

As Blakely searched for the car keys Ellis took a loaded .38 calibre pistol from her handbag and fired five shots at him.

The first shot missed - hitting a passing woman in the hand - and he started to run, pursued by Ellis round the car, where she fired a second, which caused him to collapse onto the pavement.

She then stood over him and fired three more bullets.

Ellis then calmly told the bystanders to call the police and surrendered to an off-duty policeman who had been in the pub.

It was alleged that when arrested by police, Ellis said: “I am guilty. I am rather confused.”

Blakely was pronounced dead at hospital.

Later when charged with his murder, Ellis simply said: “Thanks."

The Ruth Ellis Files: A Very British Crime Story starts tonight on BBC Four at 9pm and continues tomorrow and Thursday.